Daily Devotion to Jesus Christ – 127 of 366

Why should any living mortal, or any man,
Offer complaint in view of his sins?
Let us examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the Lord.
– Lamentations 3:39-40 NASB

Meditation

Does anyone in pop culture ever use the word “sin”? If so, I can’t recall it. It seems that this word has been retired from use. The concept, however, goes on. People will be quick to tell you if they think you’ve committed the wrong of racism or sexism or homophobia or Islamophobia. American society used to subscribe to the Ten Commandments; now it subscribes to political correctness. To modern secularists, “sin” is a Judeo-Christian term that is, like most of the terms we’ve inherited from Judaism and Christianity, “on the wrong side of history” at worst…and appropriate only for use in private worship far away from public discourse at best.

Sin, however, is the very essence of evil or wrongdoing. It’s apparent that modern people prefer to use a word like “evil” or “wrong” because the word “sin” implies the existence of God. And this is the one thing secularists must not allow themselves to admit; otherwise, the jig’s up!

If, however, there is no God, then the words “evil” and “wrong” are just as hard to nail down as “sin” – because there is no objective standard for distinguishing good from evil. Such judgments would be purely a matter of personal preference. If someone doesn’t think it’s murder to kill you, on what basis can you or anyone else disagree? You could say majority vote rules, but public opinion can shift. What’s right one year can be wrong the next.

All this goes to show that modern culture is attempting to suppress the truth when it avoids the word “sin.” It’s an undeniable aspect of reality.

Given the sin that is in the world, why in the world do we complain? Is it only criminals who commit sins? Are the rest of us innocent? If God chose to judge you based exclusively on things you said were wrong when others did them, do you have any idea how many sins would be counted in your life?

If you want to reduce sin, start with your own life. Measure it against Jesus…because He is the standard.

Prayer

(Remember that prayer is more about listening than talking. Use the words below to start yourself, but then allow time to reflect more on the Scripture above before you say the “Amen.” During that time of quiet reflection, let God shape your thoughts and wait for a sense of peace to come. That’s your signal to say “Amen” and go forth to the day.)

Lord, help me to recognize sins in my life that I tolerate. Help me to hate them as the source of trouble for myself and others that they are…(this is where you remain quiet in order to let Him work in your thoughts)… Amen.